Winter weather wreaks havoc for the holidays

By Jessica Ravitz and Leslie Holland, CNN

Updated 0528 GMT (1328 HKT) December 23, 2013

Photos: Wild weather sweeps U.S.12 photos

Wild weather sweeps U.S. – Utility crews prepare to work on power lines at dusk in Litchfield, Maine, on Thursday, December 26. Many have been without electricity since Monday's ice storm, up to 7 inches of snow is forecast, worrying utilities that the additional weight on branches and transmission lines could cause setbacks in the around-the-clock efforts to restore power.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – Snow and ice cover Lake Michigan in Chicago, on December 26.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – Snow accumulates on trees in Bay City, Michigan, on December 26.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – Shannon Abbott of Byron Center, Michigan, and her cousin, P.J. Swainston, slide on the slopes near Dorr, Michigan, on Wednesday, December 25.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – An American Eagle plane waits to be de-iced at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Sunday, December 22. The Midwest was battling snowstorms and the South flooding over the weekend, while the Mid-Atlantic states experienced record highs. More extreme weather is expected during the holiday week.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – A tow truck prepares to pull a vehicle from a crash scene in Muskegon, Michigan, on December 22.

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Wild weather sweeps U.S. – Tourists visit the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree in Washington on December 22 under cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 70s.

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Wild weather sweeps the country – A sign warns drivers of a flooded road while a car charges through heavy rainfall on Saturday, December 21 in Paducah, Kentucky.

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Wild weather sweeps the country – Allegra Michaels, 2, with her father Dave Michaels at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, screams with delight as they enjoy an unseasonably warm day on December 21.

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Wild weather sweeps the country – Debra Guthrie walks her dog along a trail surrounded by ice-covered trees in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on December 21.

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Wild weather sweeps the country – People walk along an ice-covered pier near the South Haven Lighthouse on December 21 in South Haven, Michigan.

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Wild weather sweeps the country – Keola Wong removes snow from the roof of his Bellemont, Arizona, home on Friday, December 20. A storm system dropped heavy snow in northern Arizona, while Phoenix-area streets and highways were wet from rain during the morning commute.

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Story highlights

Eight deaths are reported, including five in Kentucky

More than 250,000 customers are without power in Toronto

New York City sets a record high, breaking old mark of 63 degrees

Heavy rain and severe winds hit the Southeast

At least eight people are dead after a bizarre mix of weather across the country spawned tornadoes, ice storms and record-setting warmth this weekend.

Four of the deaths involved two vehicle accidents in Kentucky. Three people drowned in the Rolling Fork River near New Hope when a car drove into the water. Two people escaped but were hospitalized with hypothermia.

"Water was out of the banks, considerably up onto the roadway area. They ran their vehicle into the water. Two of the folks were exiting the vehicle as the swift water started pushing the vehicle downstream. The other three occupants of the vehicle were unable to exit," said Joe Prewitt, with Nelson County Emergency Management.

In the other crash, a rider on an ATV overturned into a creek near Carrollton and was trapped underneath.

The Kentucky Emergency Management reported a fifth death because of flood waters, in Ballard County, but did not provide specifics.

Authorities did not release the identities of the victims.

Several flood warnings remained in effect Sunday along some Kentucky rivers and streams.

Two deaths occurred in the Mississippi counties of Coahoma and Jasper, where severe weather damaged homes and knocked down trees, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

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The eighth fatality came from a traffic accident near Kansas City, said Chris Redline of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

"We also had to close a lot of roads in southeast Missouri because of flooding," Redline said.

Flooding, extreme cold and unseasonable warmth covered other parts of the country. To make sense of it all, let us take you on a North American tour.

Southeast: Thunderstorms, tornadoes and torrential downpours

Heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning continued. These storms were forecast to spread, bringing downpours to Georgia, South Carolina and up the East Coast into Monday.

While cooler, the weather is expected to be much quieter and drier Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

On Saturday night, the National Weather Service said a tornado was likely to blame for damage in central Mississippi, including four semi-trucks overturned and five houses heavily damaged.

The main trigger for the severe weather is the above-average temperatures farther north.

Midwest: Lake-effect snow

Sara Hadley sent CNN iReport photographs Sunday of the aftermath of a storm in Lansing, Michigan.

"It didn't start off too bad until we lost power last night. At that point we knew it was getting bad. Last time we had ice like this was 1998," she wrote.

Her images showed branches and pine cones covered by thin layers of ice.

Moderate to heavy lake-enhanced snow was expected for far western and north central upper Michigan into Monday night.

Central Plains: Slammed with ice and snow

Temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees colder than normal Monday with a gradual moderation into Christmas Day.

In Kansas and southeast Nebraska, snowfalls will total 3 to 6 inches. And those cold temps will keep folks shivering.

Whitney Eichinger of Southwest Airlines said the company is trying to offer customers options.

"We are allowing customers to rebook their trip with no penalty through (Sunday)," she said. "That has more to do with traveling to the airport, not flight cancellations."

Mid-Atlantic/Northeast: Weirdly warm

If there is one present being handed out on as winter begins, it is the well above-average temperatures in the Mid-Atlantic.

New York City broke a record high Sunday, according to Ashley Sears, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"(The record) was previously 63 degrees in 1998. And we are currently sitting at 70 degrees, which we've been at for the past couple of hours," she said.

Farther north, however, the situation has been less cozy. In Maine and across New Hampshire, Vermont and into northern New York, winter warnings -- including ice storm warnings and freezing rain -- were in effect.

Getting the latest warnings when tornadoes are headed your way and knowing what to do before, during and after one hits are all key to staying safe. A handful of apps can help you stay on top of impending dangerous weather.